Imaginary
by Bad l'Cie
Summary: Sephiroth has been having weird dreams of a strange world with fields of paper flowers, candy clouds and purple skies. On top of it all, he met the goddess that rules it all. Trouble is, no one believes him. Not even his own parents believe him. Are the dreams real? Or is it a figment of his delusional mind? Based on the Evanescence song 'Imaginary'.
1. Alarm Clock Screaming

_I do not own FFVII, FFXIII-2 or any of Evanescence's awesome music_

Hojo sighed as the alarm clock screamed into his bedroom, emitting that terrible beeping that scared him every time it went off. He slammed his hand onto the snooze button and groaned. He got up and headed off into the bathroom and brushed his teeth before sliding the stained white lab coat over his shoulders and picked up his keys. They clanged together like a dull wind chime before he placed them in his pocket and headed out the door, slamming it behind him.  
"Good morning professor. Your breakfast is waiting at your desk. And two people wish to see you." his assistant said as he stormed through the entrance to his lab. His assistant had wild blonde hair and dark blue eyes. His skin made him appear as a walking corpse.  
"Thanks Jacob." Hojo replied before sitting at his desk and placing his thin rimmed glasses on his face.  
"Hello, Hojo." a familiar female voice said with spite. Hojo looked up from his books and smirked.  
"Lucrecia, you haven't changed a bit." he replied.  
"Save it Hojo!" the second person hissed.  
"Vincent, long time no see..." Hojo said, the smirk whipping off of his face.  
"Where is he?" Lucrecia asked, a sense of urgency coating her tone like chocolate does a marshmallow.  
"Who?" Hojo asked with confusion.  
"My son!" she exclaimed.  
"How am I supposed to know where he is?" Hojo slammed his fist onto the table and held his gun up to Hojo's head.  
"Then find out... You are his father, damnit! Start acting like it!" Vincent hissed, his blood red eyes piercing Hojo's barriers.

Hojo sat back in his chair and sighed. He pressed his fingertips together and looked at them over the top of his glasses.  
"I suppose you're right. I am his father. However, he is too old to need us as parents anymore. He can take care of himself." Hojo replied.  
"You never treated him like a child... You treated him like an experiment, as you do everybody you encounter." Vincent said bitterly, the fierce force resting inside him wanting to pull the trigger.  
"Vincent... Thank you, but I can handle this myself." Lucrecia cooed and gently ran her hand down Vincent's arm. He moved the gun away from Hojo's head and sauntered behind Lucrecia.  
"You get my little boy here as soon as possible. Don't let any time slip through your fingers. You hear me?" she asked with that sense of urgency returning to her voice. Hojo shrugged and Lucrecia's hidden anger burst out as she pulled her arm back and let the palm of her hand come in contact with his cheek. When she pulled her hand away, a red patch began to appear in his face.  
"Lucrecia... He could be anywhere!" Hojo exclaimed in reply. Lucrecia slammed her hands onto the desk and stared at Hojo from just under the ridges shielding her eyes, anger licking at the darkness of her pupils.  
"Bring him back. Whatever it takes!" she hissed and Vincent wrapped his arms around her torso before pulling her up. Hojo chuckled.  
"For a moment there, you actually looked like him." Hojo said with an evil smirk. Lucrecia showed him an unamused glare.  
"He is my son after all..." she glared at him as Vincent took her hand and led her out.  
"Bring him back here, or else..." Vincent hissed.

Hojo ran his hands though his hair and groaned. His gaze moved to the plate of warm eggs cooked sunny-side up, bacon and buttered toast and the silver cutlery sitting on the side of the plate. He picked up the toast with the bacon and the egg sitting on the toast and took a bite. Suddenly, his phone rang. He jumped in fright and dropped his breakfast as the phone vibrated and emitted its screaming alarm. Hojo buried his face in his hands and wondered to himself why he had to make the ringtone so much like his screaming alarm clock. He picked up the phone and answered it.  
"Hello?" Hojo asked.  
"Hojo? Is that you? I thought this was Vincent's phone." a husky male voice replied.  
"No, Vincent's number is different to mine. Who is this?" Hojo asked.  
"Cloud." the other voice replied.  
"Ah, Cloud. Can you do me a favour?" Hojo asked, taking his glasses off of his face as he spoke.  
"What kind of favour?" Cloud questioned in reply.  
"I need you to bring Sephiroth to me. Can you do that?" Hojo asked.  
"Do you know how hard that would be? I'll try of course, but it won't be easy." Cloud replied. Hojo sighed with relief.  
"Great. Thanks. Bring him to the lab and there will be a reward." Hojo said.  
"Will do. Anything I need to know about Sephiroth that I don't already know?" Cloud asked.  
"Well, he is a little bit unpredictable... Has always been since childhood." Hojo replied.  
"I will remember that." Cloud said and hung up. Hojo put his phone back onto the desk and sighed.

Jacob walked into lab and stared at the breakfast lying on the floor.  
"What happened here professor?" he asked as he bent over to clear up the mess. Hojo rubbed his temples and sighed.  
"Stupid damn alarm clock..." Hojo cursed.  
"But sir, that's your phone." Jacob replied with confusion. Hojo shook his head.  
"They both sound the same, Jacob." Hojo replied. Because he spoke of the accursed ringing, it filled his ears. The alarm's screaming continued to sound and it punched his eardrums constantly. Over and over and over again. It didn't disappear, it continued to stay with him, like a rash that wouldn't go away.  
"Sir? Are you ok?" Jacob asked as he placed his hand on Hojo's shoulder with beeping disappeared as Hojo looked up at Jacob from behind his glasses.  
"Yes, I'm fine... We have to prepare for our new arrival. He will be here in a few days and I will have to run a series of tests to make sure that he is functioning normally." Hojo replied.  
"I'm sorry to butt into business that's not mine, but why perform experiment on your own son?" Jacob asked, confusion glinting in his dark blue eyes.  
"Just to make sure that nothing is wrong with him other than his insanity and possibly cure it." Hojo replied, a hidden sadness appeared within his pupils. It was almost as if he regretted the way he treated Sephiroth in his childhood. He got up and stood beside his assistant.  
"Professor? Are you ok?" Jacob asked.  
"I'm fine. We should be preparing already." Hojo replied and headed off into his lab with Jacob in tow.


	2. Monsters Calling My Name

Cloud wondered the woodlands surrounding the Temple of the Ancients with Tifa in tow.  
"Cloud, what are we doing back here?" Tifa asked the blonde swordsman. He turned around and saw her rich red eyes glinting in the darkness and her long dark hair shimmering in the moonlight.  
"On a quest." Cloud replied and continued down the dusty and rocky trail.  
"What kind of quest?" Tifa asked. Cloud continued to walk down the road without answering Tifa's question. She tugged his arm back and looked into his bright blue eyes.  
"Answer me Cloud. What kind of quest?" Tifa asked. Cloud sighed.  
"We're looking for somebody. There's a reward." Cloud replied and went to turn away. Tifa pulled him back again.  
"Who are we looking for?" Tifa asked, her voice was coated with urgency and wanted to drop the entire thing and continue, but Tifa was his childhood friend and he couldn't hide anything from her for long.  
"Sephiroth." Cloud replied. Tifa showed immense shock as Cloud went to turn away.  
"Cloud! No! It's too dangerous!" Tifa exclaimed and barred his path with her arm.  
"A deal is a deal." Cloud replied and pushed past her arm as he continued to search for the silver haired villain.

"Sephiroth!" Tifa exclaimed into the darkness. Cloud looked at her as if she was as crazy as the silver haired warrior himself.  
"Are you crazy?!" Cloud hissed quietly.  
"It might bring him out of hiding." Tifa replied with a defeated smile. Silence swarmed them, making Tifa want to curl behind a rock and tell herself she was stupid for trying.  
"Sephiroth!" Cloud yelled, his voice reverberating through the forest. Tifa looked at him in stunned surprise.  
"Hojo did say he was unpredictable. Maybe he will respond to this." Cloud replied. Tifa laughed and they continued to wonder the forest, calling his name.

Sephiroth lay on the ground of the forest, his luminescent silver hair shining in the moonlight and spread out like a halo behind him. The forest carried the voices of the travellers towards him, the sounds gently caressed his ears and forced him to open his eyes. The bushes rustled to life as Cloud and Tifa passed his resting place.  
"Sephiroth!" Tifa exclaimed. A stray chocobo opened its mouth to squawk as the brawler called out. Sephiroth wearily stared at the chocobo in confusion.  
"Why are monsters calling my name?" Sephiroth asked himself quietly, his mind still half asleep."Cloud! I found him!" Tifa exclaimed and pulled Cloud toward the half asleep angel.  
"Sephiroth, you need to come with us." Cloud laughed.  
"Ah, indeed. Monsters have been calling my name." He said with a chuckle. Tifa and Cloud looked at each other with confusion before trying to advance on him.  
"Why should I come with you?" he asked, his bright green cat like eyes piercing the cold darkness that surrounded them.  
"You don't need to know." Cloud replied and grabbed his arm. Sephiroth pulled his arm away and stood up, looking down at the blonde swordsman.  
"You can't make me. I control you. You don't control me." Sephiroth retorted calmly, an evil smirk spreading across his face.  
"Is that a threat?" Cloud asked, clearly unmoved by Sephiroth's attempt at intimidating him.  
"Just come with us. We mean you no harm. Unless you want to end up dead again." Tifa said as she cracked her knuckles. Sephiroth summoned Masamune from the Lifestream and held it out in contest."Try and take me down." Sephiroth replied with a smirk and Cloud pulled out his Fusion Blade."So be it." Cloud said.

Tifa charged at Sephiroth and went to perform a roundhouse kick. He caught her foot and swiped his leg out to her knee and she toppled to the ground with a yelp. Cloud helped Tifa up and charged at Sephiroth, raising his sword above his head. Sephiroth parried his attack and struck him down with ease. The blade slit his cheek and crimson liquid dripped from his wound. Tifa went to punch Sephiroth but he barred her attack and knocked her back with a powerful uppercut. Blood trickled down her chin and she wiped it away with the back of her hand before charging again. He swung his blade around and it cut her forearm, making the liquid pulsing through her veins pour out. Sephiroth kicked her down and held Masamune to her throat.

"You made a big mistake challenging me." he sneered and let the tip of his katana run across her neck, blood chasing after the curve of the blade. He stopped at the centre of her throat and chuckled. Just as he was about to pierce her throat, Cloud stabbed his sword through Sephiroth's middle. He groaned and slammed the blade into the hollow of Tifa's neck. She let out a scream before her eyes became as lifeless as rocks and blood poured out of her neck like milk pours out of a jug. Cloud let anger take over as he ripped his sword out of Sephiroth's torso and struck him again. The sword missed his body, but ripped the leather coat as Sephiroth swung around to parry his attack.

Cloud kept trying to strike Sephiroth, but only ever connected with his leather coat. The two of them stood face to face, sweat dripping off of Cloud's face and Sephiroth groaned in pain. His coat was almost completely shredded, it was hanging off of him like leaves would a branch.  
"Give up Sephiroth!" Cloud exclaimed. Sephiroth groaned again and closed his eyes. He focused his energy and entered Cloud's mind. Cloud grunted and dropped his sword in an attempt to get the silver haired angel out of his mind. Sephiroth focused his energy into a sword and it slammed itself into Cloud's subconscious. Cloud pushed Sephiroth out of his mind, picked up his sword and hit Sephiroth over the back of the head with his blade. Sephiroth fell to the ground and groaned. He failed to get up after a few seconds.

Cloud sighed with relief and threw his sword to the ground before taking Tifa's dead body in his arms. He walked it to the lake where he laid Aeris' body to rest. He gently placed her body into the water and let the depths of the lake drag her under. His eyes threatened to let his emotions spill over, but he regained his composure and headed back into the clearing where he picked up his Fusion Blade and slung Sephiroth over his shoulder before marching back to Midgar.


	3. Wind Will Whisper to Me

The sounds of waves crashing and sand crunching under shoes filled the air as Sephiroth awoke.  
"Fang, who is it?" a childish female voice asked.  
"I dunno. A stranger perhaps?" The woman named Fang 's eyes fluttered open and he saw a black haired woman in a blue sari standing with a shorter, younger woman with twisted orange pigtails standing over him.  
"Wow! Look at his eyes! So exotic!" the woman with pigtails exclaimed and placed her hands over her woman named Fang knelt down next to him and lifted his chin up. Her green eyes searched his and she nodded before taking her hand away from his chin and standing up again.  
"You're right Vanille. I've never seen anything like this before." Fang replied.

Sephiroth slowly got to his feet and surveyed his surroundings. The dark waters advanced onto the grey sand and retreated back into the ocean. The salt of the sea filled his nose as his eyes traced the outlines of the blue-green buildings in the far distance. He looked up at the grey skies as they slowly turned purple. The clouds appeared to be made of fairy floss as they traversed across the purple-grey sky. There was a field close by, filled with flowers that seemed to be made by origami and just left there to grow as plants. Sephiroth almost sighed in wonder. The two women laughed at the silver haired angel's wonder.  
"What's so funny?" Sephiroth asked them.  
"You're face!" the woman with orange hair replied with a laugh.  
"Who are you, stranger?" The woman named Fang asked.  
"I'm Sephiroth, and you two are?" Sephiroth asked in reply.  
"Oerba Dia Vanille. Just call me Vanille." the woman with orange hair replied.  
"Oerba Yun Fang. Fang for short." the woman with dark hair replied."Where is this place?" Sephiroth asked.  
"Valhalla. It used to be Gran Pulse with Cocoon just over there," Vanille said and pointed to the floating planet in the distance before continuing, "but Etro was destroyed and Valhalla took over." Vanille replied.  
"Valhalla is the realm of the dead." Fang added.  
"I'm dead?" Sephiroth asked.  
"As a door nail!" Vanille exclaimed in reply.

Sephiroth looked around the area and sighed.  
"This is paradise..." he whispered and closed his eyes, letting his other senses enjoy the strange surroundings of Valhalla.  
"Why are you whispering?" Vanille asked with a whisper.  
"I'm listening to the wind. It's whispering to me." Sephiroth replied.  
"That's because that is how the new goddess speaks to the rest of us. She can't speak any other way." Fang explained.  
"Her voice is beautiful..." Sephiroth whispered a smile almost reaching his lips.  
"We'll see you around then." Fang said and then walked away.  
"Bye Sephiroth!" Vanille exclaimed with a wave.  
"Vanille! Come on!" Fang shouted.  
"Coming!" Vanille called and ran after Fang.

Sephiroth opened his eyes to see the two Pulsian women gone. He looked around Valhalla again and wandered the realm of the dead. He stood in the field of flowers and sat down amongst the flowers. He picked up one to the flowers and felt the petals. The papery surface crumbled in his hands and the dust was carried away by the wind. He still heard the gentle whispers of the goddess in his ear. Her gentle yet harsh voice caressed his eardrums like the soft chirping of a nightingale. Sephiroth lay down on the luscious grass and the flowers gently swayed in the wind. He watched the fairy floss clouds roll across the purple sky. The wind gently blew around him as the clouds gathered above him. The sky blackened and tears began to fall from the heavens. As the droplets fell onto his face, he felt the sorrow of the goddess trickle down his cheek. Her words resonated in his ears and into his heart, pulling at its strings.

The flowers rustled around him as two figures sat down next to him.  
"Hi again Sephiroth!" Vanille chirped and held her hand out to collect the rain.  
"What's up, Sephiroth?" Fang asked the silver haired sat up and glanced at the two women before chuckling.  
"Not much. Sitting around. What about you two?" Sephiroth asked in reply.  
"Well, I'm just talking with you and Fang." Vanille replied.  
"Not much either..." Fang replied. A moment of silence swept over the group as the rain continued to fall. The silence chilled Vanille to the bone and she shivered. Her teeth began to chatter and Fang laughed.  
"Cold are you?" Fang asked. She nodded and crossed her arms before letting her teeth chatter away. Sephiroth pulled his tattered coat and draped it over Vanille's shoulder. She looked at him and smiled.  
"Thanks." she replied and snuggled into the torn leather coat.

Silence blanketed the group again. The wind whistled around Sephiroth's ears and made him close his eyes to listen. Fang laughed and shook her head at Sephiroth. He opened his eyes and glared at Fang. Vanille chuckled at the two of them before snuggling back into the coat.  
"Fang, Vanille? Can you tell me about the goddess?" Sephiroth asked.  
"Sure. She's a former l'Cie. A servant of the fal'Cie, a mechanical god." Fang replied.  
"She went missing after Cocoon fell. When Etro was killed, Valhalla took over the living realms and she crystallised, becoming the new goddess of Valhalla." Vanille replied.  
"What's her name?" Sephiroth asked.  
"She prefers Lightning or Light." Vanille replied.

Out of nowhere, a pink haired woman with a tall, blonde man and a small toy moogle walked past the field.  
"Serah!" Vanille woman named Serah turned and smiled as she waved back to Vanille. She and her accomplices sat down int the flowers with them.  
"Who's your new friend?" Serah asked.  
"I'm Sephiroth." he replied.  
"I'm Serah Farron." she said with a friendly smile.  
"Snow. Snow Villiers." The blonde man replied.  
"Mog, kupo!" the moogle chirped happily.  
The small smile on Sephiroth's face faded as the rain and the wind began to weave the story of the goddess' life.  
"How did you get here?" Serah asked.  
"Well, I was knocked out in a fight and I woke up here." Sephiroth replied. Snow laughed heartily before shaking his head.  
"I've never seen a moogle like him before. The ones back home are fat and slow." Sephiroth said and gently poked Mog in the stomach. Mog chuckled.  
"That tickles, kupo!" the moogle exclaimed with a giggle.  
"Where are you from stranger?" Snow asked.  
"Gaia." Sephiroth replied.

Suddenly, Sephiroth's vision began to blur as his head spun. He shook his head and the dizziness faded.  
"Are you ok?" Fang asked.  
"Not really." Sephiroth replied and winced as his mind began to throb heavily. His vision turned black as he fell back onto the flowers.  
"Sephiroth?! Can you hear me?" Vanille exclaimed. That was the last thing he heard before receiving a hard slap across the face.


	4. Out of touch

Sephiroth groaned as another hard slap struck his face. He opened his eyes to see Hojo about to slap his face yet again. The scientist sighed in relief as he sat on the edge of the bed. The room was white as were most of the furniture and the carpet was a chocolate brown. Five bookshelves reaching the roof were lined with many ancient books, all differing in size and colour.  
"Sephiroth, I'm glad you're awake." Hojo said. Sephiroth went to sit up, but grunted as the wound from the fight pained his body.  
"Easy... You are still a little weak." Hojo said.  
"Is this Valhalla?" Sephiroth asked in wonder.  
"No, this is Gaia. Cloud might have hit you a little too hard." Hojo replied before tousling Sephiroth's long silver locks and standing next to his sat up against the soft pillows supporting his back and looked down at his bare chest bound in crisp white bandages stained with red.

"Your mother's here to see you." Hojo said and went to open the door.  
"Jenova?" Sephiroth asked. Hojo sighed and moved his hand away from the brass doorknob.  
"No, Lucrecia Crescent. I lied to you your entire life. I wanted you to focus on your training and not on family matters." Hojo replied.  
"You are the worst father, you know that right?" Sephiroth asked. Hojo nodded.  
"I know." Hojo replied and opened the door.  
Lucrecia walked into the room and sat in the edge of Sephiroth's bed before holding his pale hand. All of a sudden, she pulled him into a tight hug and didn't seem to want to let go.  
"Sephiroth! I finally get to see you!" Lucrecia exclaimed as she pulled away. Sephiroth groaned as she gently brushed his wound.  
"What happened to you?" She asked in wonder.  
"Fight." Sephiroth replied. Lucrecia sighed and put the covers back over his chest. She kissed his forehead and stroked his hair.

"Hojo, you really let him join SOLDIER?" Lucrecia asked.  
"He's been training for it his entire life. Of course I did." Hojo replied.  
"I'm not the SOLDIER hero anymore. Now I'm feared around Gaia." Sephiroth replied. Lucrecia sighed and shook her head.  
"I knew this would happen..." she said bitterly.  
"Mother, I'm alive aren't I?" Sephiroth asked. She turned to her son and stroked the side of his face.  
"That's not the point, sweetie." she replied and took his hand again before squeezing it gently.

"Mother? Have you ever heard of Valhalla? The realm of the dead?" Sephiroth asked. Lucrecia looked at her son in confusion.  
"No. There's no such place. Have you been drinking? Smoking? Taking any drugs?" She asked in reply. Sephiroth sighed and shook his head.  
"No. I don't do that stuff." Sephiroth replied. Lucrecia sighed in relief.  
"I'm glad you don't, sweetheart. But Hojo, I'm worried about him. It's not normal to make up a world. Is it?" she asked the crazed scientist.  
"No. Not for a man his age." Hojo replied with a shake of his head.  
"So, you're saying that I'm delusional? Out of touch with the world?" Sephiroth asked.  
"Possibly." Hojo replied. Lucrecia gave him another hug and kissed his forehead.  
"But I love you all the same. You're my little boy." she said with a laugh and kissed his cheek.  
"Mother! I'm not seven!" Sephiroth hissed and crossed his arms over his chest. Lucrecia sighed and shook her head.  
"You're my only child. You're always going to be my little boy!" she exclaimed and kissed his head. Hojo shrugged his shoulders.  
"Don't worry too much about it Sephiroth." Hojo replied with a apologetic smile.

Sephiroth took a sideways glance to find Vincent standing in the doorway, half in the light, half shrouded by darkness. Vincent sighed and shook his head as Lucrecia and Hojo suddenly jumped into a heated argument.  
"When they argue, it takes forever to resolve. Just warning you." Vincent said before turning his back to the room and sauntering out.  
"Thanks." Sephiroth replied after Vincent as he wandered out. Sephiroth turned his attention to the fighting couple.  
"You are an ignorant pig!" Lucrecia exclaimed and slapped Hojo across the face. Sephiroth chuckled and his parents turned around to face him.  
"We should take this fight outside. Jacob, you will attend to Sephiroth's every need until we sort this out." Hojo instructed and led Lucrecia out the door as Jacob closed the door behind them.

An awkward silence followed as Sephiroth got out of bed and lent up against the wall. His wound didn't seem to sting anymore.  
"Can I get you anything?" Jacob asked, worry painted onto his face.  
"Yes actually, could you get me something to eat?" Sephiroth asked in reply.  
"Of course. I'll be right back." Jacob replied and headed out the door. The arguing couple's shouts quickly flew into the room before being shut out by the door. Sephiroth sighed and sat back down on his bed. He stared at the cream coloured ceiling with eyes of stone. He had no idea what he was going to do whilst he was here, waiting to fall asleep again. Hojo walked back in the white bedroom without the female scientist.

"Just out of curiosity, how long have you been dreaming of this imaginary Valhalla?" Hojo asked.  
"Started a few days ago. And it isn't imaginary. It's more real than your love for my mother." Sephiroth replied. Hojo nodded and then left the room, passing Jacob in the wandered in with a plate of chocolate chip cookies in his hands.  
"What was that about?" Jacob asked and placed the plate on the bedside table.  
"It's just Hojo being a walking mass of complexes." Sephiroth replied and took a bite of one of the cookies. Jacob laughed uneasily and tousled his wild, blonde hair.  
"You really shouldn't take about him like that." Jacob stated.  
"I've called him that behind his back for years. He really doesn't care." Sephiroth replied with a chuckle before devouring the rest of the cookie.

Lucrecia opened the door and popped her head into the room. She shook her head at Sephiroth and walked into the room.  
"You shouldn't be up. Get to bed, now." Lucrecia ordered and pointed to the bed. Jacob slipped out of the room and went to join Hojo in the confinement of his laboratory. Sephiroth sighed and climbed back into the bed. She walked over to the bed and pulled the covers over his torso. She ran her hands through his long silvery hair and sighed.  
"I won't be able to persuade you to cut your hair, am I right?" she asked. Sephiroth stared at her coldly.  
"I would never allow you to cut my hair." Sephiroth replied. Lucrecia laughed before standing up and kissing his head gently.  
"Do you want me to get you anything?" she asked.  
"A book would be nice." he replied.  
"What's the magic word?" she asked teasingly. Sephiroth rolled his eyes and shook his head.  
"I'm not seven, mother." he replied with a chuckle. She raised her eyebrows and nodded. Sephiroth sighed and hung his head in defeat.  
"...Please..." he replied. She smiled and nodded.  
"Much better. Of course sweetie." she said and kissed his head before wandering out the door and closing it behind her.

He turned to the bedside table and picked up another cookie before taking a bite out of it. He stared at the ceiling before taking another bite out of the cookie. Moments later, Lucrecia returned to the white bedroom with an ancient looking book in her hands. She placed it on his stomach and sat down next to him. He picked up the book and inspected the cover. For an old book, it was very well kept. The cover was a dark purple with black writing engraved into the cover. The book was called, 'Spells and Summons'.  
"This was meant to be given to you for your sixteenth birthday. But Hojo, being the arrogant pig he is, forgot to. This book is yours. Enjoy." she said with a smile before kissing his cheek and heading out again.

Sephiroth put the book down on the floor and snuggled into the doona cover. He looked down at the book and then looked around the room. He reached down and picked up the book before sitting up and resting it on his lap. He opened to the front page and examined it carefully. The dark ink of the medieval script graced the tanned pages. Complex ink patterns followed the edges of the paper. Every single stroke was written with precise perfection. He spotted a small patch of modern writing on the corner near the border.  
"To dearest Sephiroth. You were destined for great things. Use this book to your advantage." He read aloud. He shrugged and turned to the first page. His eyes scanned the text and turned the pages as he continued to read through the many pages explaining the uses of dark magic. He turned to the page where a black sliver of material sat. At the end of this material, was a silver ring with an indent in it big enough to hold a Materia. Sephiroth pulled out the Black Materia and set it into the ring. It gleamed softly before Sephiroth placed it into his pocket and continued to read. His eyelids became extremely heavy and he let them close over, leaving the blanket of slumber to drape itself over him.


	5. The Goddess of Imaginary Light

The petals of the paper flowers brushed up against his cheek as his eyes slowly opened. The sounds of two men arguing filled his ears. Sephiroth's vision cleared and he saw a man with silvery hair lighter than his own and another man with purple hair arguing, their conversation almost inaudible. Fang and Vanille sat on ether side of Sephiroth, shaking their heads at the bickering men.  
"Hope! Stop it!" Vanille exclaimed and waved her hands around in the air. The white haired man turned around to face the orange haired Pulsian. The man with purple hair reached for his large sword that rested on his back.  
"Don't even think about it Caius." Fang growled and the other man took his hand away from the sword.  
"What are they fighting about?" Sephiroth asked, trying to mask his confusion.  
"Over who would awaken the goddess." Fang replied.  
"Legend has it, that the goddess' true love will come out of hiding and awaken her. At their age, I can't believe they still believe in true love's kiss!" Vanille added, closing her eyes as she laughed.

"I'm going to awaken the goddess!" Caius exclaimed and pointed to himself.  
"No! I am!" Hope countered and went to punch Caius in the cheek. Caius dodged Hope's blow and laughed.  
"You must be joking. I am!" Caius exclaimed.  
"Keep dreaming, it's me!" Hope retorted. Sephiroth chuckled and shook his head.  
"I think she'd prefer someone like me." he said with a twisted smile. Hope and Caius turned and stared at the one winged angel. Vanille laughed and Fang shook her head at Sephiroth.  
"Why argue about it when you can put it to the test?" Fang asked with a shrug of her shoulders.  
"Fang has a point. Let's see who Lightning would prefer." Hope replied calmly. It was almost as if the argument never happened.  
"Follow me!" Vanille exclaimed and waved her hand over her head before she ran off. The others followed her to the goddess' throne.

White feathers fell around the aqua stone of the throne like ash falls from a volcano. The feathers danced around the group as the three men gazed at the crystallised goddess sitting atop her throne.  
"That's her." Caius said with a dark tone. It was almost as if he wanted to atone for all the sins he had committed against her. Hope closed his eyes and sighed.  
"Its almost as if I can hear her voice again... It's been too long Light." Hope whispered before opening his eyes and looking back at Vanille and Fang. Sephiroth almost wanted to give up on destroying Gaia and everything in it to stay in Valhalla to serve this goddess for all eternity. He shook off that foreign feeling and tried not to show any signs of his thoughts taking hold of his emotions.

"I'll go first." Caius said and stepped towards the throne with great reverence and care. He gently pressed his lips up against the cold crystal. The crystal's cool surface sent chills running down his spine as he removed his lips from hers. He stood back and waited for the goddess to come out of her crystal stasis. A few minutes passed and nothing happened. Caius hung his head in defeat and sighed. Hope crossed his arms and laughed.  
"My turn." Hope said with a cocky smirk and pressed his lips up against hers. Nothing happened. Caius laughed at the hopeful scientist before slapping him on the back.  
"That's rich!" he exclaimed and laughed even more. Caius' laughter died down as the two men turned to face Sephiroth.  
"Your turn." Caius mused with an evil smirk, thinking that Sephiroth could never awaken the goddess.

Sephiroth stepped towards the throne carefully and respectfully as much as he could, trying not to disrespect the goddess in any way. His lone wing of darkness gracefully unfurled as the white feathers jumped up and danced with the floating black ones. He placed his hands on her hips and pressed his lips up against hers. The coolness of the crystal turned into a welcoming warmth. He pulled his lips away from hers and stood back. The crystal began to dissolve and a bright light engulfed the whole of Valhalla. A pink haired woman dressed in silver armour sat in the crystal's place. Hope, Caius and Sephiroth stood in awe as the woman stood up and stepped down from the throne.

"Lightning!" Vanille exclaimed and threw her hands up in the air with delight. Fang smiled and nodded in Lightning's direction.  
"Hi, Light. Do you recognise me?" Hoped asked with a hopeful smile. Lightning smiled and nodded.  
"How could I forget you Hope?" Lightning asked in reply. She ruffled his hair and poked his forehead with her finger much like she used to years ago. Caius tried to muster a sweet smile. Lightning shook her head at Caius and he sighed in defeat.

Lightning's eyes fell upon the silver haired angel, staring with wonder at her. Her eyes wandered over his perfectly toned torso and up into his spellbinding green eyes. His eyes traced every fine strand of pink hair that framed her face before connecting with her angelic aqua eyes. A smile touched her perfectly rosy lips and her eyes sparkled with an unequalled brightness, one that would put the stars of Gaia to shame. Her heart almost skipped a beat as her eyes traced the outline of his wing, staring at it intently. Sephiroth lowered his gaze and his attention fixed onto the train of white feathers falling down her right hip.  
Serah, Mog and Snow joined the group and watched on as the goddess and the angel stood adjacent to each other, captivated by the exotic beauty of the other.

"Lightning!" Serah exclaimed and ran up to her sister before wrapping her arms around her and scaring her back to reality. Lightning returned the warm hug and chuckled.  
"It's good to see you, Serah." Lightning replied with a smile. Her gaze moved from her elated sister to the mysterious stranger standing before her. Serah followed her sister's gaze to the man with silver hair falling down around his mysterious features, veiling him from the goddess' steely gaze. Lightning pushed past her sister and stood before the stranger, his strong stature towering over her petite frame.  
"Who are you stranger?" she asked, her harsh voice emanating a small sense of gentleness that he remembered.  
"Sephiroth Crescent." he replied quietly, trying to hide his eyes behind his waterfall of luscious silver hair from hers. Vanille waved her hands up in the air behind Sephiroth to catch Lightning's attention.  
"What is it Vanille?" Lightning asked the orange haired Pulsian.  
"He kissed you." she whispered and pointed to Sephiroth. Lightning's hard expression softened into a warm smile.  
"Huh, I don't believe it." she replied and crossed her arms in front of her chest.  
"I did... I did kiss you." Sephiroth said quietly. Lightning's expression soured to one of unamusement.  
"Prove it." She retorted in challenge. Snow shook his head at Lightning disapprovingly.

Sephiroth carefully placed his hands in her hips and pressed his nose up against hers. His hands slowly moved to the small of her back as his wing wrapped around her body lovingly. Their slowed breaths created an air of warmth within their dark, enclosed haven. Everything was silent, nothing could be heard over their hearts, pounding with such intensity that made Lightning's imagination run wild with hidden passion wanting to escape. His lips gently brushed up against hers, driving her heart into overdrive. Her hands travelled his torso, her thumbs rubbing the outlines of his abdominals. He pressed his lips up against hers, the warmth from before spreading across his lips as he caressed her body like her skin was as delicate as the paper flowers of Valhalla. Her hands worked themselves towards the back of his neck and her fingers intertwined with soft silvery hair. Their lips began to lock and unlock as their embrace intensified. Sephiroth's hands ran up her back and stroked her cheek as Lightning slowly folded her tongue with his. He eagerly returned her affection, pulling her body in closer to his. Their embrace heated to the equivalent of Ifrit's Hellfire. Sephiroth's body was sweaty and Lightning's clammy hands ran across his chest. He gently pulled his lips away from hers and sighed deeply. Lightning pressed her lips up against his and pulled away a few seconds later.

"It is you. You did kiss me." she replied with a shallow sigh, feeling relieved that he was the one.  
"I told you." he mused with a cheeky smile. Lightning wrapped her arms around his lower back and rested her head against his bare chest. He chuckled as her soft hair tickled his skin. He kissed her head and wrapped his arms around her. She sighed in his arms before kissing the base of his neck with tender affection.  
"Sazh! Dajh! You're here!" Vanille exclaimed and ruffled the little boy's hair. He laughed cheerfully and gave Vanille a hug. Serah, Snow, Mog, Hope and Caius left the embracing couple to meet up with old friends.  
"Quite the affectionate little one, isn't he Sazh?" Fang asked. She crossed her arms in front of her chest. Sazh laughed and nodded.  
"Yep, that's my boy." he said. The little chocobo in his afro popped up and chirped cheerfully. The chocobo flitted down to Dajh's hands and cheeped happily.  
"Does the chocobo now have a name?" Vanille asked the boy with the usual cheerful smile.  
"Chocolina." Dajh replied. Serah's faced dropped into one of shock. Mog chuckled and twirled his staff in the air.  
"Like the woman dressed up as the chocobo who sold us those items when we needed it, kupo!" Mog exclaimed. Serah slapped her forehead and let her hand slide down her face. Dajh looked at his teacher in confusion.  
"Ms. Serah, why are you doing that?" he asked.  
"She was an annoying little..."  
"Serah! Not in front of Dajh!" Snow grumbled and lightly elbowed her ribs.  
"... Cow. She was an annoying little cow with fashion issues." Serah finished. Snow nodded to her with a lighter expression.

Sephiroth tried to hide a smile as Lightning ran her hands down his torso. She ran her hands down his arms and took hold of his hands.  
"Come with me." she whispered and pulled him away towards the looming temple casting its shadow over the field of paper flowers. On the top floor of the temple, an identical throne to the one Lightning was found on floated in the air as white feathers fell from the hole in the ceiling. Across from that throne stood the balcony overlooking the realm of the dead.

Lightning stood at the railing and sighed before leaning on the stone railing. Sephiroth wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her cheek. He rested his chin on her shoulder and closed his eyes, feeling the rise and fall of her chest each time she took a breath. He could feel tension building up inside her. He opened his eyes and turned her towards him.  
"Lightning, you seem... Worried. Is anything wrong?" he asked. Lightning could see the worry in his eyes. Usually his calm exterior would never show any sign of emotion, but this isn't Gaia and he didn't have a reputation to keep. She shook her head.  
"No, nothing's wrong. It's just that... I can sense that you aren't from my world. And not dead either." she replied.  
"So, what if I'm from Gaia? What's got you worried?" he asked. He was not too sure where this would end up.  
"The fact that you might not be able to return." she replied sadly. Sephiroth lifted her chin and briefly kissed her.  
"I been coming here in my sleep since a couple of days ago. I don't think that it would end so suddenly. But if that were to happen, I would try and find a way to get back. I've never felt this way before, about anything or anyone and... I like it. Trust me when I say, I will come back and I won't let anything stop me." he replied before wrapping his arms around her waist and gently pressing his lips up against hers. Her hands clasped together behind his neck as the passionate heat returned to their embrace. Their lips parted and she rested her head on his chest again, feeling the soft beating of his heart against her eardrum.  
"Will you stay long?" she asked as the sky turned purple and the sun began to rise.  
"Not for much longer, I'm afraid." he replied with a sorrowful sigh.  
"Come back tonight." she said with a smile. He took her hands in his and kissed them.  
"Nothing will keep me away." he replied. His vision began to darken and his hearing began to fade as his sense of smell was almost gone. The last thing he noticed before going under was the sad smile of the goddess.


	6. Rampant Chaos

He could hear the chanting of his name over the loud pitter-patter of the rain on the roof.  
"Sephiroth? Sephiroth? Wake up, Sephiroth." Lucrecia whispered as she gently nudged her son in the ribs. His eyes slowly opened to find his mother looking at him with a hint of worry. She sighed with relief as she saw he eyes slowly flutter open.  
"Wake up sleepyhead." she said with a giggle and scooped his hair away from his face before giving him a warm smile. He rubbed his eyes and groaned as the harsh sunlight entered his cat like pupils. Lucrecia placed a hand on his shoulder and laughed.  
"Come on, get up." she said as she slapped his shoulder and got off of his bed before heading out. The rain continued to batter the roof as Sephiroth reluctantly sat up and yawned.

He looked down to find the dark purple book opened upside down. He picked it up and looked at the page it was opened to. 'Summoning Gods' was scrawled in black ink on top of the stained paper. He sat back into the pillows supporting his back and read over the text. Vincent stood in the doorway with his back up against the door.  
"You really seem to be interested in the dark magics, aren't you?" he said, looking at the silver haired angel from behind his mass of dark hair. Sephiroth turned to meet Vincent's blood red eyes. He turned back to the text and continued to read it.  
"My interests are none of your business, Vincent." Sephiroth replied, never lifting his eyes from the book. Vincent sniffed the air rather loudly as if his intention was to distract the other from reading.

"Mmm... That smells good. Aren't you hungry?" Vincent asked with a really loud and obvious voice. Sephiroth put the book down and stared at Vincent with annoyance.  
"I'll get up when I'm good and ready, thank you." Sephiroth snapped coldly before returning to his book. The rain continued to batter the roof and showed no signs of slowing. Vincent sighed in defeat and shook his head.  
"Fine, but Lucrecia will be upset with you if she finds you still in bed." Vincent replied with a smile. Sephiroth shrugged.  
"Let her be. I'm not getting up until I'm ready." Sephiroth said. Hojo waked into the room and Vincent left the room.  
"Get up, Sephiroth. You can't stay in here forever." Hojo said and took the book out of his hands before pulling his son out of bed. Sephiroth got up and towered over Hojo, crossing his arms over his chest. Hojo sighed and removed the bandage from Sephiroth's torso to find it completely healed with no trace of scarring on his perfect skin.  
"Strange... There should have been a scar." Hojo said and studied the area carefully. Sephiroth pushed past Hojo and stormed into the kitchen. Lucrecia shook her head and sighed.  
"If you're going to be in a bad mood, go straight back to bed and come back out when you're happier." Lucrecia said.  
"Fine with me." Sephiroth replied and headed straight back to his room. Hojo met him in the hallway and pointed towards the kitchen.  
"I don't think so." Hojo said and ushered Sephiroth back into the kitchen. Sephiroth sighed and sat down on the nearest chair. Vincent chuckled quietly and Lucrecia gave him a stare.

Lucrecia sat down next to Sephiroth and put her arm around his shoulder.  
"What's wrong? You seem upset. Can you please tell me what's wrong?" she asked and tried to keep his eye contact.  
"Nothing." he replied.  
"Please tell me." she said. Sephiroth sighed.  
"I... I think I'm in love." he replied quietly. Lucrecia's worried expression brightened into a smile.  
"Oh. That's so sweet, who with? Is she pretty?" Lucrecia asked.  
"She's beautiful, I've never seen anyone like her. She's the goddess of Valhalla. Her name is Lightning." Sephiroth replied. Lucrecia's smile faded and the worry returned. She turned to Hojo who seemed to share her concern.  
"You're in love with a dream?" Lucrecia asked.  
"No. It's not a dream. It's real." Sephiroth replied.  
"Sephiroth, it's not real. It's a figment of your imagination." Hojo said.  
"No, I swear I'm telling the truth." Sephiroth replied. He got up and headed back into his room. He picked up the book and began reading over the method to summoning gods.

He snuck into Hojo's laboratory and took some of his ingredients before taking them back to his room and setting up the summoning process. Vincent walked in and stood in the doorway.  
"This is dangerous you know." Vincent said. Sephiroth didn't pay any attention to him and continued to follow the book's directions.  
"Lucrecia, Hojo! Come quick!" Vincent exclaimed and the two scientists bounded down the hall to find their son bathing a knife in a dark matter before sinking it into the flesh of a behemoth.  
"Come to me, my sweet goddess. I summon thee from thy world." He chanted the words over and over again, making sure that the spell would work.  
"I kept that book from him for a reason! Who gave it to him?" Hojo asked the group in panic.  
"Hojo! I made a mistake giving him that book!" she exclaimed in horror.  
"Jacob! Get the sedative! Now!" Hojo yelled and the assistant nodded before sprinting into the lab and coming back as fast as he could.

He handed Hojo the sedative and lent over to catch his breath.  
"Sephiroth! Stop this nonsense!" Lucrecia exclaimed. Sephiroth ignored him and continued to follow through with the summoning went to pull the book away from Sephiroth, but he pulled the book back and continued to summon the goddess of Valhalla. Hojo went to grab Sephiroth's arm, but he turned to face him and sent a fireball hurdling towards his chest. Hojo dodged just in time and it hit the wall behind him. Lucrecia was becoming frantic and Vincent tried his best to calm her down but it wasn't working. The ground began to shake and the lights flickered on and off constantly. Hojo managed to jab the needle into Sephiroth's arm and injected the sedative into his system. Sephiroth's senses began to quickly shut down. It wasn't long before the rumbling stopped and the darkness swooped him out of this rampant chaos.


	7. Field of Paper Flowers

Sephiroth awoke in a soft bed with two arms wrapped around his torso. He looked down to find Lightning asleep on his chest. He smiled and stroked her hair lovingly. Lightning stirred and lifted her head before opening her eyes.  
"Morning." she chirped, the tiredness showing on her face.  
"Good morning." he replied and kissed her forehead. She snuggled back into his chest and sighed happily. He chuckled as her soft, pink hair tickled his skin.  
"Did you hear me calling?" he asked silently. Lightning looked at him in confusion.  
"No. I haven't heard any calling." she replied.  
"Oh." he said with a slightly disappointed expression.  
"We should be getting up." He said and went to get up. Lightning pulled him back into bed and pressed her body up against his.  
"Not just yet." she whispered and wrapped her arms around the back of his neck. She pressed her lips up against his. He ran his hands down the sides of her silk night dress and rested his hands on the small of her back before warmly returning her embrace. Their lips slowly parted and Lightning kissed his cheek gently.  
"You look really tired. Have a little rest." she said and kissed his forehead before sliding out of bed.

He turned onto his side and closed his eyes as the clanking of metal disturbed his rest. Lightning ran her hand down the side of his face and twirled his hair around her fingers. She sat down on the bed and placed her hand on his shoulder.  
"Wake up." she whispered and kissed his ear. His eyes opened almost instantly and he turned to meet her sparkling aqua eyes.  
"Let me show you around Valhalla." she said with a smile. The only light in the room was the sunlight pouring in from the window and the flames dancing on the wick of the candles around the room. Her silver armour made specks of light dance around on the ceiling. He got out of bed and followed her out of the blue-green stone temple and put into the realm itself.

The scent of the dark sea filled the air as Lightning took Sephiroth around the main city of Valhalla. They stopped at the field of paper flowers to rest. Sephiroth sat down on the luscious grass and Lightning sat next to him, placing her head against his shoulder. They stared at the purple sky. The clouds seemed to be made of fairy floss as they rolled across the sky. Lightning slowly wove her fingers into Sephiroth's and continued to watch the peaceful surroundings slowly transform from night into day.  
"It's beautiful here." Lightning said.  
"It is. But I can think of something even more beautiful." Sephiroth replied with a smile.  
"Really? What's that?" she asked.  
"You." he replied and kissed her briefly before pulling away and wrapping his arms around her waist.

He pressed his lips up against hers and Lightning pushed his bangs away from his face. Their lips constantly locked and unlocked as their hands roamed each others' bodies. Their tongues began to intertwine as their embrace intensified. Lightning twirled his hair around her fingers as his hands caressed her thighs. The flowers gently brushed against Lightning's face as Sephiroth gently pressed her back up against the grass. Their lips parted slowly, their breaths sending warm air onto the lips of the other. They stared into each others eyes with passion burning deep within the pupils. Sephiroth gently kissed her neck repeatedly, carefully licking her skin in between kisses. Lightning sighed heavily as his lips travelled up her neck and towards her ear. She ran her hands down his back and slowly ran her hands up to his neck. Sephiroth stopped kissing her body and gazed into her eyes. She chuckled and kissed his cheek. She pushed him off of her and he lay in the field of flowers next to her.

"I don't know what it is, but I feel happy when I'm with you." he said with a smile. Lightning chuckled and kissed his forehead.  
"I feel the same. I've never felt this way about someone before." She replied and she rested her head on his chest. An awkward silence swept over the two of them as the wind gently sent the flowers swaying in the breeze. Lightning wove her fingers in between his and kissed his cheek.  
"You are so snugly, Lightning." Sephiroth whispered. She chuckled and shook her head.  
"I guess I've found someone that I never want to let go of." She replied with a shrug.  
"Am I that comfortable to cuddle?" he asked with a laugh.  
"Yes, you are actually." she replied with a cheeky grin. They laughed and she placed her head back on his chest whilst he watched the clouds roll across the sky. Sephiroth picked one of the flowers and placed it carefully in Lightning's hair. She chuckled with delight as his hands tousled her hair.

Lightning took her hand out of his and ran it up his torso. She kissed his abdominals repeatedly. Sephiroth sighed with pleasure as she sat on his stomach and proceeded to shower his neck and chest with kisses. He placed his hands on her hips as she lent down and pressed her lips up against his. He sighed happily as her tongue traced the edges of his lips with both care and intensity. Sephiroth's tongue brushed against hers and their tongues began to caress. Lightning ran her hands down his chest lightly. She removed her mouth from his and began to nip at his ear. Sephiroth bit his lip to try and stop himself from moaning her name. She released his ear and lay down beside him.

The moon began to rise and Sephiroth felt his consciousness slowly drifting away from his mind's grasp. Lightning noticed this and wrapped her arms around his body, savouring the coolness of his skin against her face. Sephiroth gently stroked her head and she smiled with content.  
"I love you." she whispered loud enough for him to hear her voice.  
"I love you too." he replied and kissed her forehead.  
"I can't believe that you're going already." she said with a sigh.  
"I'll be back. I promise." he replied. His vision became cloudy. "I'll hold you to that." she said and snuggled into his chest. Sephiroth placed his arm over her torso and closed his eyes, letting the breeze gently run over their faces. It wasn't long before his body shut down completely and it became very cold.


	8. Nightmare

The concrete ground made his skin crawl as he sat up and surveyed his surroundings. All that was around him was titanium bars, a steel chair, some rope, a hook on the ceiling and a chain attached to the dark stone walls. A draft wafted in through the bars and chilled Sephiroth to the bone. A white lab coat brushed up against the bars as Hojo stood outside the cell. Sephiroth looked up at his father from behind his long silvery locks, making it seem that he was possessed by some kind of ancient angered demon.  
"Why am I here?" Sephiroth asked, flames licking at the edges of his cat like pupils.  
"You know perfectly well. Your mother and I don't want you to hurt yourself. You're our only child and we need to protect you." Hojo replied.  
"I'm not a little kid anymore! Too little, too late!" Sephiroth hissed and stood up, still staring Hojo down like a jaguar would their keeper in the zoo.  
"You are still my son. And I will protect you from further corruption." Hojo said. Sephiroth grasped the bars and snarled at Hojo.  
"You don't own me. I just share your DNA..." Sephiroth replied with an evil sneer.  
"You used to be such a sweet little boy... What happened to you?" Hojo asked. Sephiroth laughed darkly and turned away from the deranged scientist.  
"You did. The training, the desensitising, the tests, the alterations... You haven't forgotten that, have you?" Sephiroth asked in reply. Hojo winced and placed his hand on the bars.  
"Of course I haven't..." Hojo uttered in reply. Sephiroth sat in the corner and stared at the ground. Hojo sighed and left the room, bolting the steel door behind him.

"How could she not hear me summon her? Is Valhalla really a dream?" Sephiroth asked himself, his faith in the realm of the dead faltering into a hopeless darkness eating up at him from the inside. The bolts from the door outside his cold and dreary cell were unlocked as Lucrecia, Vincent and Cloud entered the room and stood before the bars.

"I can't believe it's come to this..." Lucrecia said sadly, tear threatening to fall down her face at any given moment.  
"I can." Cloud said with no emotion behind his voice at all. Vincent whacked Cloud with his metal arm and shook his head.  
"Not helping!" he exclaimed with grit teeth. Lucrecia gripped the bars with both hands and tried to spot Sephiroth in the darkness.  
"Sephiroth, please come to the bars." she pleaded. He looked up at her and slowly to up before trudging towards the bars. She tried to connect with his gaze but he hid his eyes from her behind his silky waterfall of silver hair.  
"Look at me." Lucrecia said gently. There was no response from Sephiroth.  
"Look at me." She said sternly. Sephiroth still failed to respond.  
"Look at me, Sephiroth!" She exclaimed. He looked at her with daggers in his eyes.  
"I'm sorry... This is all my fault..." She said, tears spilling down her face. Sephiroth stayed quiet, he refused to speak with her.  
"Sephiroth, please speak to me." She pleaded.  
"Let me out." Sephiroth said.  
"This is for your own good. You can't hurt yourself in here. And that's the way I'll keep it. You being safe and alive." Lucrecia replied.  
"How can this be safe? It would only affect me more." he retorted, a sense of betrayal slowly seeping into his veins. Lucrecia sighed and shook her head.  
"I'll bring you something to eat, sweetheart." she said sadly and left the room, leaving Vincent and Cloud with Sephiroth.

Vincent approached the bars and stared at Sephiroth with an annoyed glance.  
"What?" Sephiroth snapped at Vincent.  
"Your mother loves you and you don't seem to care." Vincent replied. Sephiroth chuckled evilly and shook his head.  
"If she loved me, she would believe me. It seems to me that I'm just a doll that she can play mother with. And I don't like that. I'm not a doll, Vincent." Sephiroth said with a sour tone coating his dark and seductive voice.  
"I know that and she knows that too. She's concerned about you. Don't you realise that?" Vincent asked, a slight snarl touching his lips.  
"And I don't believe that she is." Sephiroth replied. Vincent tool a deep breath and stepped away from the bars.  
"I'm not going to argue with you anymore." Vincent stated angrily and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Cloud pulled up a chair and sat next to the bars. Sephiroth moved the steel chair in his cell up to the bars and sat adjacent to Cloud.  
"Sephiroth, I never thought I'd see you like this." Cloud said.  
"I never thought you actually wanted to talk to me." Sephiroth replied. Cloud chuckled and shook his head.  
"You know, if you had never met Genesis, none of this would have ever happened." Cloud said. Sephiroth's mood soured even further at the mention of his friend's name.  
"I know. But, I'm glad I met him. I wonder if he's still alive?" Sephiroth asked.  
"He is. I don't know where he is though..." Cloud replied. An awkward silence swept over the two enemies who were conversing like they were almost acquaintances again. Cloud twiddled his thumbs as Sephiroth stared at the ground below his feet. His gaze moved over to the rope. It looked long enough to hang from the hook on the ceiling and sturdy enough to hold up a man of his weight.

"Sephiroth? Are you ok? You seem distracted." Cloud said. Sephiroth shook off that thought and looked back up at his enemy's bright blue eyes.  
"I'm fine. I'm just thinking." he replied. Sephiroth's eyes wandered the surroundings once more. He spotted a small camera in the corner of the room, staring at the bars and at Sephiroth behind them. Cloud got up and moved the chair away for. The bars before walking out and shutting the door behind him.  
Hojo stared at the computer screen and tried to make sense of what his son was doing. He slung the rope over his shoulder and stood the chair underneath the hook on the roof before unravelling the rope and trying to tie it into a noose. Hojo jumped up from his chair and picked up a dagger before racing down to the bolted door. He unlocked the door and raced into the room to find Sephiroth knotting the rope onto the hook and slipping the noose over his neck before pulling it tight. Hojo fumbled for his keys and unlocked the cell. Sephiroth stood at the edge of the chair and took a deep breath.  
"To Valhalla." he whispered and stepped off of he chair. Hojo threw the dagger at the rope and it cut most of the rope. The rope couldn't bear Sephiroth's weight and it snapped, sending him crashing to the floor. Hojo raced into the cell and helped Sephiroth off of the floor.

"Are you crazy?!" Hojo exclaimed and sat his son down onto the chair before loosening the noose and taking it off of his neck. Lucrecia walked in and she stared at the scene before rushing to Sephiroth's side.  
"What happened? Is he ok?" she asked in a panic before wrapping her arms around him and squeezing him tight.  
"He tried to hang himself." Hojo replied sombrely. Lucrecia looked at her son with a hurt confusion. Sephiroth gently pushed his mother off of him and took the dagger out of the wall.  
"You don't understand..." Sephiroth uttered quietly. Hojo and Lucrecia stepped back as Sephiroth swung the dagger at them. Lucrecia clung to Hojo and let tears of sorrow and fear trembled down her face.  
"Sephiroth! Stop it! Please!" Lucrecia begged. She grasped Hojo's lab coat as her heart beat so fast that it was almost impossible to distinguish the difference between one beat and another. He lifted the dagger high above his head and closed his eyes.  
"Don't do this, Sephiroth." Hojo said and shook his head.  
"You have no control over me." Sephiroth retorted and brought the dagger down into his chest. He pulled out the dagger with a grunt and stared at the crimson fluid coating the metallic surface of the short blade. Blood seeped out of his wound as his consciousness slipped away. The grey concrete floor was covered in a thin layer of Sephiroth's blood as he collapsed to the ground. Lucrecia rushed to Sephiroth's side and looked up at Hojo.  
"Go get help!" she exclaimed as Hojo nodded and raced out to find Jacob and the rest of his scientific party. Sephiroth felt his life drain away as the darkness returned to caress him in eternal slumber.


	9. Let Me Stay

Sephiroth awoke in the field of flowers. They swayed in the breeze and emitted their sweet scent as Sephiroth sat up and saw Lightning sitting not too far away in the field, admiring the flowers. Sephiroth got up and quietly walked over to Lightning before sitting down behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her cheek. She sighed and chuckled as his fingers wound into hers as she turned to face him.  
"I love you." he said with a sweet smile.  
"I love you too." she replied and pressed her lips up against his. A few moments later they pulled away before Lightning stood up and pulled Sephiroth up with her.  
"What happened to you?" she asked and inspected the wound on his chest. Sephiroth chuckled.  
"I committed suicide." he said with a smile. He looked back down to find Lightning removing her hand from his chest and the scar disappearing from his soft pale skin.  
"Why would you do that?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest.  
"So I can be with you. For the rest of eternity." He replied and kissed her cheek.  
"Huh, that's a stupid reason." she replied. Sephiroth looked at her with surprise.  
"What?" he asked in confusion.  
"You have friends, two parents and so much more back in Gaia. Why would you throw that away to live in a dead world with a goddess like me ruling over it?" She asked in return.  
"You mean more to me than anything, even life." he replied with a smile. Lightning chuckled and shook her head.  
"That's still not a good enough reason." she said with a playful smile.

Sephiroth took her into his arms and pressed his lips up against hers. She sighed happily as she ran her hands through his long silver locks as his hands rested on the small of her back. Their lips continuously locked and unlocked as his hands went wondering around her body.  
"Oi! Enough! You didn't want to scare Dajh!" Fang exclaimed with a laugh. The couple pulled away as Fang, Vanille, Hope, Dajh, Sazh, Serah, Mog and Snow made their way into the field.  
"Good to see you now have a man, sis!" Snow exclaimed with a thumbs up. Everyone laughed except Lightning and Sephiroth.  
"I'm not your sister!" she hissed in reply.  
"You will be soon enough." Serah replied with a smile.  
"You've finally started planning?" Lightning asked. Serah nodded with a smile.  
"Yes they have, kupo!" Mog replied.  
"A wedding! That's going to be exciting!" Vanille exclaimed with a clap. Sephiroth placed his hand on Lightning's hip and gently pulled her towards him.

"I think I know who's getting married after you two..." Sazh said with a smile. Hope said nothing. He was very quiet when Sephiroth was around.  
"Hope, you ok?" Lightning asked the sombre scientist. He nodded.  
"Yeah, I'm fine." he replied. Vanille hugged him from behind and laughed.  
"Cheer up!" She said and squeezed him tighter. Hope couldn't breathe but he still laughed and gave Vanille a hug back.  
"Yeah Hope. It's not the end of the world." Fang replied with a laugh. Dajh looked at the chocobo chick sitting on his shoulder and laughed innocently. "Chocolina is happy. See? She's chirping happily." Dajh said as Chocolina chirped. Sephiroth kissed Lightning's cheek and held her tighter.  
"I'll see you later then." Lightning replied and tugged Sephiroth along towards the temple of Etro.  
"Bye!" Vanille exclaimed and waved her arm up high in the air.  
"Behave yourselves!" Snow exclaimed with a laugh. Serah playfully whacked him in the stomach and Snow grunted before rubbing the spot where Serah hit him.

Lightning stood at the end of the balcony and looked out at her kingdom. She sighed and Sephiroth wrapped his arms around her waist before kissing her neck.  
"How did you become a goddess?" Sephiroth asked.  
"I served the goddess Etro as her champion. She was killed and appointed me as the new goddess of Valhalla." she replied.  
"Is it that easy?" Sephiroth asked. Lightning scoffed and shook her head.  
"No. It wasn't easy. Not in the slightest." Lightning replied. Sephiroth kissed her neck repeatedly and Lightning sighed.  
"Why do you ask?" she asked.  
"I wanted to destroy Gaia and make myself a god. That didn't work out and I've been trying ever since. Nothing worked. At all. Eventually, I gave up." He replied with an uneasy smile. Lightning gently turned around to face him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I know a way." she said with a suspicious smile.  
"You do?" he asked. Lightning nodded and kissed his cheek.  
"How?" he asked again. Lightning chuckled and ran her fingers through his silver hair. She raised her mouth up to his ear.  
"Marry me." she whispered and kissed his earlobe. Sephiroth couldn't speak, he was caught by surprise. She smiled and kissed his cheek. Sephiroth took her hands and kissed them before going down onto one knee.  
"Lightning, my darling. I want to be with you for the rest of eternity of you will let me. Will you marry me?" Sephiroth asked, his cat like eyes glinting with hope. Lightning sat on his knee and kissed his forehead.  
"Yes." she replied. Sephiroth fumbled for his pocket, from which he pulled out the silver ring with the Black Materia set in it. He slid the ring onto her finger and kissed her hand.  
"I love you, my angel." She said and kissed his cheek.  
"I love you too, my goddess." he replied and picked her up with one swift motion before carrying her off into the bedroom.

He placed her gently down onto the bed before climbing on top of her and showering her neck with kisses. She sighed with pleasure as his hands ran up and down her thighs. His lips slowly moved up her neck and inched towards her lips. Their lips connected and a shock of energy ran through their veins as their lips endlessly locked and unlocked. Their hearts beat in sync, but at a pace that no ordinary mortal could keep up with. His fingers slowly undid her heavenly armour as she sat on top of him and kissed his neck endlessly. She ran her hands down his chest and lay her hands at the top of his pants. Sephiroth groaned as his head began to throb and his vision began to darken. Lightning stopped kissing his neck and looked at him with worry.

"What's wrong?" she asked, concern coating her voice like chocolate does an eclair. His head began to spin and his hearing was going crazy. She placed her head on his heart and still felt his heartbeat. She smiled with relief.  
"You're still alive. Gaia is calling you back. Don't worry about me. I'll be here waiting." she replied and kissed his cheek.  
"Let me stay with you. I don't want to leave you." he said.  
"Go. Your parents need you." Lightning replied and kissed his forehead. She lay next to him and gently ran her finger down his nose and across his forehead. "But, Lightning..."  
"Shh... But nothing. Go to sleep. You will fall asleep as a mortal and awaken as a god. Trust me. Go to sleep. I love you." Lightning said and kissed his lips gently before continuing to lull him to sleep. His eyes became too heavy for him to keep open and he closed them.


	10. Fear

A strange beeping entered his ears as Sephiroth slowly returned to consciousness. Beep... Beep... Beep... His eyes slowly opened to see Lucrecia staring him, Hojo watching the monitor beside his bed and Cloud talking with Vincent in the back. Lucrecia held onto Sephrioth's hand and her worried expression lit up into a relieved smile.  
"Hojo! Sephiroth is awake!" she exclaimed and poked Hojo in the back. Sephiroth went to sit up but Lucrecia quickly and gently pushed him down.  
"Be careful! You're still hooked up to the machines." Lucrecia said and stroked his hair. He moved his head away from her hand and stared at the ceiling in shock.  
"How am I still alive?" he asked himself aloud.  
"Easy. You missed any major organs and you received the treatment you needed immediately." Jacob replied and continued to monitor the machines with Hojo, making sure that Sephiroth stays in a stable condition.  
"Hojo, can I talk with you for a second?" Lucrecia asked the mad scientist. Hojo nodded and they left the room. Sephiroth presumed that they were going to have another argument.

Lucrecia closed the door behind herself and looked at Hojo with worry.  
"I want him to be safe. I don't want this to happen again. I think we should do it." she said, tears falling down her cheek.  
"But Lucrecia, he's always had so much potential. To do that would be such a waste." Hojo replied.  
"Do you want him to try to kill himself again and possibly succeed?" Lucrecia asked, pain seeping through her voice.  
"I know, but it seems cruel. Especially with the childhood he's had." Hojo replied with guilt and sorrow.  
"We don't have a choice. He's suicidal and delusional. We have to do something." Lucrecia said. It was clear that she was fearful for her son's life. Hojo sighed and nodded.  
"So be it. I'll get the equipment ready." Hojo replied and headed off.  
"Good." she said and leant against the wall before crying wildly.

Vincent and Cloud approached the bed and Sephiroth attempted to sit up.  
"Don't bother." Vincent replied and pulled up a chair beside the bed as Cloud remained standing with his arms crossed.  
"You are crazy." Cloud said. Sephiroth laughed and shook his head.  
"No. It's not that crazy." Sephiroth replied.  
"You are more messed up than your father." Vincent said with a laugh.  
"Uh... Thank you?" Sephiroth asked, unsure of whether that was an insult or a compliment.  
"You better behave, you three." Jacob replied, never lifting his eyes from the monitors. The three men chuckled.  
"I never thought I'd ever be able to talk to you like this." Cloud said.  
"Same here." Vincent agreed.  
"I never thought I'd actually know you two as more than my enemies." Sephiroth replied.

Lucrecia walked back into the room and shut the door behind her before wiping her tears away from her face.  
"Lucrecia? Are you alright?" Vincent asked as he got up and wrapped his arms around her with comfort.  
"I'm fine." she replied and broke out of Vincent's comforting hug. Cloud stared blankly as Lucrecia gave Sephiroth a hug.  
"I'm doing this for your own good." Lucrecia whispered, her sorrow constantly galling from her eyes.  
"What?" Sephiroth asked in confusion. Lucrecia let go of her son and wiped her eyes with her sleeve.  
"Nothing... It's nothing." she replied with an uneasy smile. She turned to Jacob and nodded. Jacob nodded in return and began to remove the wires from Sephiroth's torso.

Lucrecia helped Sephiroth out of bed, even though he didn't need her help, he accepted it anyway. Vincent and Cloud followed them. She led him into a smallish room with a chair placed in the middle. The chair was equipped with steel bracings, as if they were there to hold somebody down into the chair. "What's this for, Lucrecia?" Vincent asked. Lucrecia stayed silent and ushered Sephiroth towards the chair. Sephiroth stopped dead in his tracks and looked over at the tray of surgical tools sitting beside the chair.  
"What are you going to do to me?" Sephiroth asked and ripped his arm away from his mother's grip.  
"Sephiroth, please just sit down." Lucrecia replied and tried to get him to sit down into the chair. He reluctantly sat down in the chair and Jacob began to clamp the bracings around his wrists, ankles and his torso.

Lucrecia nodded to Hojo. Hojo sighed sadly and rummaged through his instruments before picking up a small pick-like instrument and used his free hand to lift Sephiroth's chin up.  
"I'm sorry, Sephiroth. We just want what's best for you." Lucrecia said with a sigh.  
"Stay still." Hojo said, emotion draining away from him. The pick hovered over Sephiroth's eye. Sephiroth moved out of Hojo's grip and stared at them in shock. "You're trying to lobotomise me?" Sephiroth asked in surprise.  
"We don't want you hurting yourself again. We don't want you to go disappearing into your fantasy world. We love you." Lucrecia replied and stroked his face. Hojo said nothing as Lucrecia gently tilted his head back up towards the huge lamp hanging over his head. Vincent and Cloud stared at the scene in dismay. Hojo gently guided the pick into Sephrioth's eye socket. Sephiroth grunted as the pick pierced the bone dividing his eye socket from his brain. Hojo pulled the pick out of his eye socket and flicked a stray silver hair away from Sephiroth's face.

The crazed scientist put the pick down as Lucrecia helped guide his head down. Jacob released the bracings from Sephiroth. Lucrecia and Hojo helped Sephiroth up and onto his feet. Cloud and Hojo stared into Sephrioth's lifeless eyes.  
"What happened to him?" Cloud asked.  
"He won't really think for himself anymore. He's more like a vegetable then a human now." Hojo replied somewhat solemnly. Lucrecia's eyes began to well with tears as she gave her son a hug.  
"It's for the best..." she said as the tears rolled down her face.  
"I don't think so..." Vincent mumbled under his breath. Lucrecia and Hojo led Sephiroth towards his pristine, white room and sat him down on the crisp white linens before shutting the door.


	11. Silent Nights

Lightning stood at the balcony of the temple when suddenly, a voice touched her ears through the whisper of the winds.  
"Come to me, my sweet goddess. I summon thee from thy world." the familiar voice chanted over and over. The dark and haunted voice was poisoned with mystery and seduction. Lightning closed her eyes and let the words soothe her soul. She recognised the voice at an instant and sighed. Her eyes opened as she looked down at the silver ring.  
"I come at the sound of thy voice." Lightning replied. She turned on her heels and headed back into her green-blue bedroom. She carefully removed her armour from her body and placed it on her bed. She slid a sleek, black silk floor length dress over her petite frame. The lightning pendant on her necklace seemed to almost glimmer against her pale skin and the black dress. She placed a pair of black heels on her feet. Lightning summoned a portal to Gaia and lifted up her skirt before stepping through the portal. She stepped into a smoggy world shrouded in darkness. She closed her eyes and felt energy pulsing in the far distance. She opened her eyes and followed the gentle tug of the strong extra terrestrial energy.

Hojo sat on the bed next to Sephiroth and clasped his hands together.  
"You are a lot quieter now than before." Hojo said. Sephiroth didn't respond. He simply gazed at the wall and didn't really blink. Hojo nervously clapped his hands together and looked down at the carpet. Hojo stood up and gently tapped Sephiroth's cheek.  
"I'll check up on you later." Hojo said and left the room before closing the door behind him. Sephiroth's mind wanted to do something, anything at all, but it was completely passive. He couldn't do much other than obey simple commands and stare at the white walls.  
There was a loud knock at the door. Lucrecia got up off of the couch and opened the door. Lightning stood on the other side of the door and looked at the brown haired scientist in shock.  
"Can I help you?" Lucrecia asked and crossed her arms over her chest.  
"I'm sorry. I was looking for Sephrioth." Lightning replied. Lucrecia turned to Hojo I'm surprise and waved him over.  
"Who might you be?" Hojo asked.  
"I'm Lightning. Sephiroth's fiancé. Is he here?" Lightning asked in reply. Lucrecia gasped in surprise.  
"He's in that room." Hojo replied and pointed at Sephiroth's door."Thank you." Lightning replied and walked over to the door and went into his room before closing the door behind herself.

Lucrecia burst into tears and threw herself at Hojo.  
"He told the truth and we turned him into a vegetable! What kind of parents are we?" she wailed quietly. Hojo stroked her hair, not quite sure how to respond to her shocked sorrow.  
"I told you it would be a waste." Hojo replied quietly. Lucrecia slapped Hojo on the arm and he yelped in pain.  
"Don't make me feel worse than I already do!" She exclaimed and sobbed into his shoulder.

The door clicked shut and Lightning sat on the pristine bed next to the silver haired man. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed his warm lips. She pulled away almost immediately, noticing that something wasn't right.  
"Sephrioth? Are you ok? Is something wrong?" she asked and stroked the side of his face. He said nothing. His silence was one that made the conversations of the dead seem louder than an airship overhead.  
"Sephiroth, please answer me." Lightning said with worry. He remained silent as he stared into space. She kissed his cheek and rested her head on his shoulder.  
"...Please... Please answer me." she pleaded quietly. There was still no response from the angel. She ran her finger over his soft lips and sighed.  
"Is there someone else and you don't want to tell me?" she asked.

Hojo lifted his ear off of the door and shook his head at Lucrecia.  
"I have to tell her." he said and went to reach for the brass doorknob. Lucrecia nodded and looked towards the doorknob.  
"We have to tell her. She deserves to know." Lucrecia replied and Hojo opened the door. Sephiroth's eyes still showed emptiness. Lightning was still trying to get some answers out of Sephrioth.  
"Lightning. He won't answer. He can't answer." Lucrecia replied. Lightning looked at Sephiroth in confusion before turning to his parents for answers.  
"What do you mean?" she asked. Lucrecia sighed and looked at Hojo to explain. Hojo took his glasses off his face and crossed his arms.  
"Sephiroth has been lobotomised. I didn't want it to come to this, but we were concerned about his mental health." Hojo explained.  
Lightning stood up and looked into Sephiroth's captivating glowing green eyes. Indeed, they were as empty as a beggar's wallet.  
"He told me he didn't want to go back to Gaia... But I let him. It's my fault." Lightning said, a hidden sorrow emerging from inside her. Her sorrow quickly turned into anger. She stood up and shook her head at the two scientists.  
"What you have done is despicable. I can't believe that you would destroy the mind of a god." Lightning said with a hiss elongating her words.  
"Wait, what? He succeeded?" Hojo asked in surprise. "Yes. I gave him the power he had been seeking." Lightning replied.

Cloud and Vincent wandered in and caught the end of the conversation. It didn't take Cloud long to butt in.  
"Why would you do such a thing?" Cloud asked with spite.  
"Excuse me? You have no idea who you are dealing with. Do you?" She asked in reply, a snarl forming behind her bitterness.  
"Cloud! She's a goddess! Don't aggravate her!" Hojo hissed at Cloud in reply.  
"So she's the mystical goddess of Valhalla Sephiroth was talking about?" Vincent asked.  
"Yeah, so?" Lightning asked, crossing her arms around her chest and glaring at Cloud and Vincent. Cloud looked Lightning up and down before shaking his head.  
"You don't look like a goddess." Cloud said.  
"Are you the hero?" she asked the blonde with a delicate pink eyebrow raised.  
"Yes. What of it?" he asked in reply.  
"You aren't anything special yourself." Lightning replied with a grin. Cloud's face sunk and he stared at Lightning with an annoyed glare.  
Lightning placed her hand on Sephiroth's arm and kissed his forehead.  
"He's coming back to Valhalla with me." she announced, focusing her eyes on his parents."He won't be going anywhere." Hojo replied. Lucrecia held his arm and nodded in agreement.  
"Excuse me? I could reverse this damage that you have done and yet you deny him even the slightest sliver of happiness? What kind of parents are you?" she asked with an angered sigh.  
"We just want what's best for him!" Lucrecia exclaimed in reply. Lightning crossed her arms around her chest and shook her head.  
"He's coming back to Valhalla." Lightning replied calmly.  
"No. He's staying here." Hojo retorted and stood between Lightning and Sephiroth.  
"If it's a war you want, it's a war you'll get." Lightning said and in a flash of light, her armour appeared on her body and her gunblade sat firmly in her grip. She turned on her heels and stormed out of the house and slammed the door behind herself.

"A war? You really think she'll start a war?" Hojo asked.  
"Maybe. Sephiroth would know. But he can't speak." Cloud replied. Vincent poked Sephiroth in the arm and tried to get him to speak. The angel said absolutely nothing. His eyes still showed his blank stare from before.  
"It's no use." Vincent said with a shrug. Lucrecia walked out of the room and reached for the aspirin tablets.


	12. Raindrops

Raindrops fell upon Lightning and her army of Pulsian beasts and Eidolons. She looked down at Odin and sighed. The mechanical horse snorted as she drew Zantestuken from its sheath. The blade emitted zaps of electricity as the rain fell onto the metal. Her breaths emitted a white fog as she breathed heavily. Two Shiva with brown markings instead of blue stood on Lightning's left as a white Bahamut hovered in the air on her right. She raised the twin blades into the air and called down two single bolts of lightning. The blue bolts of energy struck the blades and the roar of thunder rocked the land as Lightning's ferocious battle cry pierced the heavens. Her Pulsian army threw their heads up and screeched their cries of bloodlust towards the storm brewing. Lightning cast Thundaga into the sky and it caused a thunderstorm to brew. It struck the top of the Shinra tower before continuing its destructive rampage throughout Midgar.  
"Crush, maim, destroy." Lightning instructed with a vicious snarl. Her army let out a battle cry that shook the grounds of the mako fuelled city. Her monsters and Eidolons charged as she rode Odin into battle.

Shinra security guards rushed out of the building with their guns blazing in the thunderstorm. The rain fell down from the heavens and obscured their sight. A behemoth stood over a group of guards, pulled out his massive weapon and slammed it into the guards, killing them instantly. Shards of ice pierced the hearts of those that tried to even damage the smooth surface of the Shiva sisters. Blood replaced the rain as it fell on the Pulsian attackers. Bahamut took down a group of guards with one fell swoop. He licked the blood off of his claw and flew over to the Shinra building before attempting to tear it down. Lightning summoned bolts from the heavens to strike down some enemies as she swung the mighty 's' shaped blade at her attackers. She leaped off of Odin's back and swung the blades around and soft red rose petals spun around her in a whirlwind of grace. She struck them down with such precision that she split them in half. She landed gracefully on her own two feet and handed Odin the blades.  
"Thanks." she replied and the horse transformed into a looming silver, turquoise and golden warrior before running into battle, protecting the Shiva sisters and battering enemies with barrages of thunder. Lightning held her gunblade and stood ready to take down any enemy that stood in her way.

Three third class SOLDIERs ran up to her with their short swords drawn.  
"Three mortals that think they can take down a goddess of war. How cute." Lightning mocked with a vicious grin spreading across her face. The first warrior charged. Lightning stabbed her gunblade into his torso and smirked as she caught the tip of the silver weapon with her eye. She whipped the blade out of the SOLDIER and knocked him to the ground. Blood pooled around the unfortunate soul. Lightning flicked the crimson off of her blade and onto the dead warrior's allies. Lightning switched it into gun mode and shot one in the temple before kicking the other down, drawing her survival knife and slitting his throat. The ripping of his throat sounded almost like music. White feathers and red rose petals littered the battle scene as Lightning wiped the knife onto the SOLDIER with the bloody neck and put it away before using the one that was killed with a gunshot as a step before sauntering towards the house where Sephiroth was being contained.

Lightning wove her way around the battleground as if she was a dancer, moving across the stage with grace and elegance. She reached the door and kicked it down before being greeted by Cloud and Vincent. Lightning pointed her gun at Vincent. Cloud charged at Lightning and she blocked his blow with her shield as she shot at Vincent and slammed her shield into Cloud's face. Vincent used his gun to shoot at the goddess, but she dodged his attacks with grace and agility. She whacked Vincent on the back of his head with her shield and swung around to slice Cloud's cheek. She kicked him down and slammed the side of her shield into his temple. She stood up and wandered towards the pristine bedroom that belonged to the fallen angel.

The door creaked open and Lightning peered into the room to find Sephiroth still sitting there, as blank as he was a few days ago. The rain continued to batter the roof and attempt to drown out the sorrowful sounds of warfare. She sat next to him and pressed her lips up against his. Suddenly, his hand moved its way to the small of her back. Lightning slowly removed her lips from his and kissed his forehead. He blinked and wrapped his arms around her waist before kissing her cheek.  
"I knew you wouldn't leave me here in this hellhole." Sephiroth replied with a smile. Lightning's heart jumped as he pressed his lips up against hers. Her hands wove themselves into his hair as their kisses intensified. Their lips continuously locked and unlocked as Sephiroth's hands went wandering around her body. Lightning sighed as Sephiroth gently pushed her down onto his bed as he climbed on top of her. Their embrace tightened as the thunder roared over the house. Their lips slowly parted and they stood up. Sephiroth summoned Masamune as Lightning picked up her gunblade.  
"Let's destroy this place." Sephiroth said and kissed her cheek before sprouting his elegant black wing and leading her out of the house.

Sephiroth stepped into a bloody conflict between two worlds. The white Bahamut landed on all fours next to Lightning as the Shiva raved over to the goddess. "Sephiroth, take the Shiva. I'll bombard them from the skies." Lightning instructed as she jumped onto the Bahamut's back with ease and took to the skies. Bahamut wrestled with a massive airship and sent it crashing to the ground. He landed on the Shinra building and roared towards the skies. He flew back up into the air and charged Megaflare.  
"Rain down hell!" Lightning commanded and her Bahamut released its fury onto the building, causing it to topple and crash to the ground, killing thousands of Gaian citizens.

Sephiroth sent meteor spells crashing into the building surrounding him as the Shiva intertwined and formed the icy motorcycle. Sephiroth ran his hand down the handlebars and smiled. Five second class SOLDIER operatives ran up to the angel. He mounted the motorcycle and sped towards the attackers. He turned sharply and drifted around the SOLDIERs quickly, producing shards of ice that penetrated their skin with relative ease. A pillar of ice held them captive as they froze over. Within a few seconds, the ice collapsed and crushed the men inside. He skidded over the icy road and used the broken ice as a ramp to jump into the air and use the bike to crush one of his next opponents. He jumped off of the bike and held Masamune up to his assailant's neck in challenge.

The bright blue eyes if his next challenger stared at him with hate and spite. Cloud held his blade out before him, aiming for Sephiroth. Sephiroth laughed and shook his head. "You can't defeat me. I am a god." Sephiroth replied with a smirk and cut Cloud down with ease. The blonde swordsman got up and charged at Sephiroth. The angel teleported when the blonde got too close and appeared behind him. Sephiroth plunged his katana deep into Cloud's torso. He lifted the helpless warrior off of the ground and threw his body across the battlefield with one swing. Cloud's skin was pierced in many places as blood oozed out of his wounds. Cloud struggled to get up and Sephiroth wandered over, poising his blade, ready to strike. The rain continued to fall as Cloud struggled to get up.  
"I told you. Now, to finally put an end to you." Sephiroth said and brought Masamune down onto Cloud's neck. The head of his enemy rolled across the ground as Sephiroth laughed evilly. Blood pooled around the swordsman's body as Sephiroth took to the air and joined Lightning in midair combat.

Sephiroth landed on Bahamut's back with Lightning as the dragon fulfilled the goddess' orders. The dragon roared and swiped multiple helicopters as they whizzed around the through the air.  
"Use the Black Materia." Sephiroth whispered into her ear.  
"What are you talking about?" Lightning asked in reply. He removed the Materia from her ring and placed it in her hand.  
"Use it." he replied and kissed her cheek.  
"I don't know how." she said and handed him the dark orb.  
"You wanted to destroy this place, now is your chance." she said with a smile. Sephiroth nodded and held the orb in the palm of his hand. He drew the power from the orb and summoned the largest meteor anybody had every seen. The meteor hurdled towards the ground. Sephiroth and Lightning teleported the whole army back to Valhalla whilst the meteor crushed Gaia into oblivion, putting an end to the thunderstorm and the rain.


	13. Reality

Sephiroth wrapped his arm around Lightning's waist as they watched the destruction of Gaia through a mirror hanging on the blue green wall of the Shrine of Etro. Gaia exploded into shards of earth and they floated around in space, never to be connected ever again.  
"Welcome to your new reality." Lightning said with a smile. Sephiroth pressed his lips up against her neck and continuously kissed her skin. She sighed as his hands wandered around her body. She quietly moaned his name as his lips gently moved up her neck and he began to nip at her ear lobe. He chuckled and released his grip on her. She sighed heavily and ushered him into the bedroom before closing the door and pulling the curtains over the windows.

Sephiroth wrapped his arm around her waist and gently pulled her onto the bed with him. He set the Black Materia back into her ring and kissed her hand. He then placed his hands in the clasps of her armour and gently undid them. She pushed him onto the bed with her and she kissed his chest feverishly. Sephiroth ran his hands through her soft pink hair and kissed her forehead. She ran her hands down his abdominals. She moved her tongue down the middle of his chest and licked his abdominals. Sephiroth tried to hold back his sighs as she kissed the middle of his abdominals. She continued to lick and kiss his stomach and he couldn't help but to close his eyes and sigh her name. Lightning undid his pants and gently kissed the top of his abdominals. Her lips slowly travelled down his abs, lacing her path with soft kisses. He sighed heavily as she licked the area above his manhood.

She stopped kissing his stomach and sat up, staring into Sephiroth's beautiful green eyes. He gently placed his arms in her upper back and guided her body onto his. She sat on his hips and bit her lip as she ran her hands up and down his torso. Sephiroth moaned her name as her hands gently rubbed his abdominals. Lightning took her hands off of his body, bit her lip and then placed her hands on his body again. She ran her hands up his body and let her hands rest on his pecs. She let her fingers softly brush his nipples. Sephiroth saw the hesitation in her icy eyes and pulled her down onto the bed next to his own body.  
"If you're not ready, I won't force you." Sephiroth said and kissed her cheek.  
"Thanks." She said. Lightning sighed with relief and feverishly pressed her lips up against his. He sighed and let his hands wander her body as their lips constantly locked and unlocked. The crisp sheets twisted as their embraced tightened. Their lips parted and Lightning rested her head on his bare chest.

"I love you." Sephiroth cooed and wrapped his arm around her waist.  
"I love you too." Lightning replied and kissed his cheek before snuggling into his chest. Sephiroth caressed his fiancé's body and kissed her neck lovingly. Lightning chuckled as his lips moved across her neck. She moaned his name as he licked her throat with tender affection. He chuckled as he gave her a quick kiss and she snuggled back onto his chest before shutting her heavy eyelids. Sephiroth stroked her head and kissed her forehead before shutting is own eyes and sighing.  
"I'll see you in the morning." Sephiroth whispered and let the stillness of the night pull him into a deep slumber.

The sun rose behind the elaborate blue green shrine as the purple sky retreated into it's hiding space. Lightning rubbed her eyes as she slowly awoke. Sephiroth's skin felt cool against her face. She hummed a lullaby she learnt from when she was younger and let her fingers trace his muscular body. Sephiroth sighed heavily as his eyes slowly opened. Lightning chuckled and kissed his chest.  
"Morning." she said, still half asleep. Sephiroth kissed her head and wrapped his arm around her waist.  
"Good morning." he replied. She snuggled back into his chest and sighed before closing her eyes again.  
"Come on Lightning. You were awake just a moment ago." Sephiroth said with a cheeky smile. Lightning snuggled into his neck and kissed his shoulder.  
"Just a few more minutes." she replied with a whisper. It was Sephiroth's turn to chuckle as he ran his hands over her soft pink hair.  
"I love you." he whispered and kissed her head.  
"I love you too." she replied and opened her eyes before kissing his cheek and pressing her lips up against his.


End file.
